Validation of dried blood spot sampling for determining trophic positions of Arctic char using nitrogen stable isotope analyses of amino acids.

RATIONALE: Dried blood spots (DBSs) are gaining popularity for biomarker analyses in ecological research due to their advantages for use in field-based research and in remote settings; however, many DBS biomarkers remain unvalidated. We validated the application of compound-specific stable nitrogen isotope analyses of amino acids (CSIA-AAs) to field-prepared DBSs for determining trophic positions of wild-caught Arctic char (Salvelinus alpinus). METHODS: Whole blood and muscle from Arctic char were collected, and DBSs were created in the field. We measured the stable nitrogen isotope ratios (expressed as δ15 N values) of the amino acids glutamic acid (Glu) and phenylalanine (Phe) isolated from Arctic char samples using CSIA-AAs. We then compared amino acid δ15 N values from DBSs and the other sample types (whole blood and muscle) from the same specimens. We calculated and compared trophic position estimates generated from whole blood, DBSs, and muscle. RESULTS: The δ15 N values of Glu and Phe, as well as trophic position estimates from DBSs, were highly correlated with δ15 N values and estimates from both whole blood and muscle. The DBS amino acid δ15 N values and trophic position estimates agreed well with those from whole blood. Although mean differences between amino acid δ15 N values from DBSs and muscle were noted, the offsets were small and resulted in a 0.2 mean difference between trophic position estimates for DBSs and muscle. CONCLUSIONS: We demonstrate that the application of CSIA-AAs to field-prepared DBSs of Arctic char generates similar trophic position estimates to those from whole blood and muscle. We suggest that DBSs could be developed as a minimally invasive sampling technique to study feeding ecology of wild fish and perhaps other organisms of interest.

Quantification of Spatial and Temporal Trends in Atmospheric Mercury Deposition across Canada over the Past 30 Years.

Mercury (Hg) is a pollutant of concern across Canada and transboundary anthropogenic Hg sources presently account for over 95% of national anthropogenic Hg deposition. This study applies novel statistical analyses of 82 high-resolution dated lake sediment cores collected from 19 regions across Canada, including nearby point sources and in remote regions and spanning a full west-east geographical range of ∼4900 km (south of 60°N and between 132 and 64°W) to quantify the recent (1990-2018) spatial and temporal trends in anthropogenic atmospheric Hg deposition. Temporal trend analysis shows significant synchronous decreasing trends in post-1990 anthropogenic Hg fluxes in western Canada in contrast to increasing trends in the east, with spatial patterns largely driven by longitude and proximity to known point source(s). Recent sediment-derived Hg fluxes agreed well with the available wet deposition monitoring. Sediment-derived atmospheric Hg deposition rates also compared well to the modeled values derived from the Hg model, when lake sites located nearby (<100 km) point sources were omitted due to difficulties in comparison between the sediment-derived and modeled values at deposition "hot spots". This highlights the applicability of multi-core approaches to quantify spatio-temporal changes in Hg deposition over broad geographic ranges and assess the effectiveness of regional and global Hg emission reductions to address global Hg pollution concerns.

Mercury Speciation in Whole Blood and Dried Blood Spots from Capillary and Venous Sources.

There is interest in measuring total mercury (THg) and methylmercury (MeHg) in dried blood spots (DBS) though more research is required to evaluate mercury (Hg) speciation in DBS and to validate the agreement between blood sources (venous vs capillary) and matrices (whole blood vs DBS). Therefore, the present study aimed to develop, evaluate, and validate a DBS-based method to assess MeHg and inorganic mercury (InHg) exposure in human population studies. First, we used volume-controlled (40 µL) paired DBS-whole blood samples to develop an analytical method that involved the extraction and quantification of MeHg and InHg with gas chromatography-cold vapor atomic fluorescence spectrometry (GC-CVAFS). Next, we carried out a validation study using paired DBS-whole blood samples from venous and capillary sources from 49 volunteers with Hg exposures similar to background populations (i.e., MeHg in venous whole blood ranged from 0.2 to 3 µg/L with a median value of 0.8). The limits of detection were higher for InHg (1.9 and 1.1 µg/L in DBS and whole blood, respectively) than MeHg (0.3 and 0.2 µg/L in DBS and whole blood, respectively). The MeHg concentrations among blood sources and matrices were highly correlated (r ranged from 0.85 to 0.95), with no constant bias (intercept ranged from -0.05 to 0.13 µg/L) and small proportional bias (slopes ranged from 0.92 to 1.08). Bland-Altman plots indicated little bias between MeHg measurements with 82-98% of the cases meeting the analytical acceptance criterion of 35% maximum allowed difference. Our results indicate that measures of MeHg in capillary DBS reflect concentrations in the gold standard (i.e., venous whole blood) and that DBS is a suitable tool for assessing MeHg exposure in human population studies, but that more work is required to assess InHg exposures.

Isotopic Evidence for Oil Sands Petroleum Coke in the Peace-Athabasca Delta.

The continued growth of mining and upgrading activities in Canada's Athabasca oil sands (AOS) region has led to concerns about emissions of contaminants such as polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). Whereas a recent increase in PAH emissions has been demonstrated within around 50 km of the main center of surface mining and upgrading operations, the exact nature of the predominant source(s) and the geographical extent of the deposition are still under debate. Here, we report a century-long source apportionment of PAHs using dual (δ(2)H, δ(13)C) compound-specific isotope analysis on phenanthrene deposited in a lake from the Athabasca sector of the Peace-Athabasca Delta situated ∼150 km downstream (north) of the main center of mining operations. The isotopic signatures in the core were compared to those of the main potential sources in this region (i.e., unprocessed AOS bitumen, upgrader residual coke, forest fires, coal, gasoline and diesel soot). A significant concurrent increase (∼55.0‰) in δ(2)H and decrease (∼1.5‰) in δ(13)C of phenanthrene over the last three decades pointed to an increasingly greater component of petcoke-derived PAHs. This study is the first to quantify long-range (i.e., >100 km) transport of a previously under-considered anthropogenic PAH source in the AOS region.

Acute Toxicity of Copper to Three Species of Pacific Salmon Fry in Water with Low Hardness and Low Dissolved Organic Carbon.

Proposed development of a mine within Alaska's Bristol Bay watershed (USA) has raised concerns about the potential impact of copper (Cu) on Pacific salmon (Oncorhynchus spp.). We conducted 96-h flow-through bioassays using low-hardness and low dissolved organic carbon water to determine the acute lethal toxicity of Cu to sockeye (Oncorhynchus nerka), Chinook (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha), and coho salmon (Oncorhynchus kisutch) fry. We aimed to determine Cu toxicity under field-relevant water quality conditions and to assess three methods of calculating ambient Cu criteria: the biotic ligand model (BLM), a multiple linear regression model endorsed by the US Environmental Protection Agency, and the hardness-based model currently used by the State of Alaska. The criteria generated by all models were below 20% lethal Cu concentrations by factors ranging from 2.2 to 54.3, indicating that all criteria would be protective against mortality. The multiple linear regression-based criteria were the most conservative and were comparable to BLM-based criteria. The median lethal concentrations (LC50s) for sockeye, Chinook, and coho were 35.2, 23.9, and 6.3 µg Cu/L, respectively. We also used the BLM to predict LC50s for each species. Model predictions differed from empirical LC50s by factors of 0.7 for sockeye and Chinook salmon, and 1.1 for coho salmon. These differences fell within the acceptable range of ±2, indicating the model's accuracy. We calculated critical lethal Cu accumulation values for each species to account for differing water chemistry in each bioassay; the present study revealed that coho salmon were most sensitive to Cu, followed by sockeye and Chinook salmon. Our findings underscore the importance of considering site- and species-specific factors when modeling Cu toxicity. The empirical data we present may enhance Cu risk assessments for Pacific salmon. Environ Toxicol Chem 2023;42:2440-2452. © 2023 SETAC.

Divergent Temporal Trends of Mercury in Arctic Char from Paired Lakes Influenced by Climate-Related Drivers.

Climate-driven changes including rising air temperatures, enhanced permafrost degradation, and altered precipitation patterns can have profound effects on contaminants, such as mercury (Hg), in High Arctic lakes. Two physically similar lakes, East Lake and West Lake at the Cape Bounty Arctic Watershed Observatory on Melville Island, Nunavut, Canada are being affected by climate change differently. Both lakes have experienced permafrost degradation in their catchments; however, West Lake has also undergone multiple underwater Mass Movement Events (MMEs; beginning in fall 2008), leading to a sustained 50-fold increase in turbidity. This provided the unique opportunity to understand the potential impacts of permafrost degradation and other climate-related effects on Hg concentrations and body condition of landlocked Arctic char (Salvelinus alpinus), an important sentinel species across the Circum-Arctic. Our objectives were to assess temporal trends in char Hg concentrations and to determine potential mechanisms driving the trends. There was a significant decrease in Hg concentrations in East Lake char, averaging 6.5%/year and 3.8%/year for length-adjusted and age-adjusted means, respectively, from 2008 to 2019. Conversely, in West Lake there was a significant increase, averaging 7.9%/year and 8.0%/year for length-adjusted and age-adjusted mean Hg concentrations, respectively, for 2009 to 2017 (the last year with sufficient sample size). The best predictors of length-adjusted Hg concentrations in West Lake were carbon and nitrogen stable isotope ratios, indicating a shift in diet including possible dietary starvation brought on by the profound increase in lake turbidity. Our study provides an example of how increasing lake turbidity, a likely consequence of climate warming in Arctic lakes, may influence fish condition and Hg concentrations. Environ Toxicol Chem 2023;42:2712-2725. © 2023 His Majesty the King in Right of Canada and The Authors. Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of SETAC. Reproduced with the permission of the Minister of Environment and Climate Change Canada.

Toxicological risk of mercury for fish and invertebrate prey in the Arctic.

We assessed the risks of mercury (Hg) to Arctic marine and freshwater fish by compiling published muscle Hg concentrations and information on tissue concentrations associated with adverse effects. The assessment included 333 groups of fish representing 35 genera and 14,002 individuals sampled from sites across the circumpolar Arctic. Mean or median Hg concentrations in fish muscle varied widely from 0.005 µg/g ww to a maximum of 2.2 µg/g ww. Results indicate that most (n = 139 of 333 or ~ 42%) Arctic fish are not at risk for Hg toxicity, based on the large number of fish mean or median muscle Hg concentrations below 0.1 µg/g ww. A smaller number of the identified groups (n = 76 of 333 or ~ 23%) of Arctic fish had mean or median Hg concentrations consistent with moderate (0.3-0.5 µg/g ww), high (0.5-2 µg/g ww), and severe risk (≥2 µg/g ww). Most of the fish with Hg concentrations in these risk categories were long-lived predators (e.g., non-anadromous Arctic char, northern pike, lake trout, Greenland halibut, Greenland shark). We also, for the first time, conducted a risk assessment of Arctic marine and freshwater invertebrates to evaluate the potential for Hg effects at lower trophic levels and to support risk assessment for Arctic fish. The vast majority (90%) of site-specific Hg or methylmercury (MeHg) concentrations in taxa of marine and freshwater invertebrates (n = 321) were < 0.5 µg/g dw, which is well below critical body residues of Hg in aquatic invertebrates associated with acute and sublethal effects determined in laboratory dosing studies. As the screening-level approach we carried out in the present study is not indicative of actual effects, more studies which directly evaluate the effects of Hg exposure in Arctic fish species are needed. The information here will be of use to Article 22 (Effectiveness Evaluation) of the Minamata Convention.

Laser ablation ICP-MS Co-localization of mercury and immune response in fish.

Mercury (Hg) contamination is a global issue with implications for both ecosystem and human health. In this study, we use a new approach to link Hg exposure to health effects in spotted gar (Lepisosteus oculatus) from Caddo Lake (TX/LA). Previous field studies have reported elevated incidences of macrophage centers in liver, kidney, and spleen of fish with high concentrations of Hg. Macrophage centers are aggregates of specialized white blood cells that form as an immune response to tissue damage, and are considered a general biomarker of contaminant toxicity. We found elevated incidences of macrophage centers in liver of spotted gar and used a new technology for ecotoxicology studies, laser ablation-inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (LA-ICP-MS), to colocalize aggregates and Hg deposits within the tissue architecture. We conclude that Hg compromises the health of spotted gar in our study and, perhaps, other fish exposed to elevated concentrations of Hg.

Alkylated polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons are the largest contributor to polycyclic aromatic compound concentrations in traditional foods of the Bigstone Cree Nation in Alberta, Canada.

Rising global demand for energy promotes extensive mining of natural resources, such as oil sands extractions in Alberta, Canada. These extractive activities release hazardous chemicals into the environment, such as polycyclic aromatic compounds (PACs), which include the parent polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), alkylated PAHs, and sulfur-containing heterocyclic dibenzothiophenes (DBTs). In areas adjacent to industrial installations, Indigenous communities may be exposed to these PACs through the consumption of traditional foods. Our objective was to evaluate and compare the concentrations of total PACs (∑PAC), expressed as the sum of the 16 U.S. EPA priority PAHs (∑PAH), 49 alkylated PAHs (∑alkyl-PAH), and 7 DBTs (∑DBT) in plant and animal foods collected in 2015 by the Bigstone Cree Nation in Alberta, Canada. We analyzed 42 plant tissues, 40 animal muscles, 5 ribs, and 4 pooled liver samples. Concentrations of ∑PAC were higher in the lichen, old man's beard (Usnea spp.) (808 ± 116 ng g-1 w.w.), than in vascular plants, and were also higher in smoked moose (Alces alces) rib (461 ± 120 ng g-1 w.w.) than in all other non-smoked animal samples. Alkylated-PAHs accounted for between 63% and 95% of ∑PAC, while the concentrations of ∑PAH represented 4%-36% of ∑PAC. Contributions of ∑DBT to ∑PAC were generally lowest, ranging from <1% to 14%. While the concentrations of benzo(a)pyrene (B[a]P) and ∑PAH4 (∑benzo[a]anthracene, chrysene, benzo[b]fluoranthene, and B[a]P) in all samples were below guideline levels for human consumption as determined by the European Commission, guideline levels for the more prevalent alkylated PAHs are not available. Given the predominance of alkylated PAHs in all food samples and the potentially elevated toxicity relative to parent PAHs of this class of PACs, it is critical to consider a broader range of PACs other than just parent PAHs in research conducted close to oil sands mining activities.

Mud Dauber Nests as Sources of Spiders in Mercury Monitoring Studies.

Identifying ecosystems where biota may be contaminated with hazardous levels of methylmercury (MeHg) is a challenge. One widely used approach for determining site-specific MeHg contamination is to monitor MeHg contamination in sentinel species. Terrestrial shoreline spiders that consume emergent aquatic insects (e.g., midges and mayflies) have been proposed as sentinels of MeHg contamination of aquatic ecosystems. The purpose of the present study was to determine whether a novel sampling technique, collection of spiders from nests of mud dauber wasps (Sphecidae), would be an efficient method for capturing MeHg-contaminated shoreline spiders for use as sentinels in ecological risk assessments. Mud dauber nests were collected near the Clear Fork of the Trinity River in Fort Worth, Texas (USA) on 3 dates from 4 human-made structures. Nests contained 627 unconsumed spiders from 5 families: Araneidae, Salticidae, Thomisidae, Oxyopidae, and Theridiidae. Methylmercury concentrations ranged from 12.2 to 56.3 ng/g wet weight in Thomisidae and Araenidae, respectively. Methylmercury concentrations of the spiders were generally low relative to risk thresholds for adult birds, but a few families of spiders could pose a risk to nestlings. Although mud dauber nests have been recognized as a source of spiders for biodiversity studies, the present study is the first to demonstrate the potential use of spiders collected from mud dauber nests for ecotoxicology studies. Environ Toxicol Chem 2021;40:1335-1340. © 2021 SETAC.

Dried blood spots to characterize mercury speciation and exposure in a Colombian artisanal and small-scale gold mining community.

The artisanal and small-scale gold mining (ASGM) sector uses the most mercury (Hg) worldwide. Despite health concerns associated with high Hg exposures in these communities, ASGM sites are often situated in resource limited and remote regions which challenge traditional human biomonitoring approaches. To help overcome such challenges, here we report on the development of a high-quality method to characterize chemical speciation of Hg in dried blood spots (DBS), and then apply this method to assess Hg exposures in people sampled from an ASGM community (Pueblito Mejia) and a nearby town (Barranco de Loba) in Colombia. We collected DBS and urine samples from 35 individuals in 2018, and used these to assess occupational (DBS inorganic Hg (InHg) and urine total Hg (THg) measures) and environmental (DBS methylmercury (MeHg) measures) exposure of participants to different forms of Hg. The accuracy and precision of the DBS-based measures generally met assay performance guideline. In study participants, the mean concentrations of DBS MeHg, InHg, and THg, and urine THg were 1.9, 4.1, 6.0, and 3.1 µg/L, respectively. For 37% of the participants, DBS THg values exceeded the 5 µg/L 'alert level' proposed by the German HBM Commission. About 60% of the blood Hg was in the InHg form thus exemplifying a need to speciate Hg in blood sampled from ASGM sites to better understand the contributions of environmental and occupational exposure sources. This study demonstrates the feasibility of using DBS for Hg speciation exposure assessments in remote and resource-limited areas such as ASGM communities.

Effect of Body Size on Methylmercury Concentrations in Shoreline Spiders: Implications for Their Use as Sentinels.

Shoreline spiders have been proposed as sentinels to monitor aquatic contaminants including methylmercury (MeHg). The present study examined the effect of spider body size on MeHg concentrations in shoreline spiders. We collected 6 taxa of spiders belonging to 4 families (orb-weavers [Araneidae], long-jawed orb weavers [Tetragnathidae: Tetragnatha sp.], jumping spiders [Salticidae], and wolf spiders [Lycosidae: Pardosa sp., Rabidosa sp., and Schizocosa sp.]) from the shorelines of 14 human-made ponds at the Lyndon B. Johnson National Grasslands in north Texas (USA). As a proxy for body size, we measured leg length (tibia + patella) of each spider. Spider taxa differed by 3-fold in mean MeHg concentration, and MeHg concentrations in 4 of 6 spider taxa increased significantly with leg length. The present study is the first to demonstrate that shoreline spider MeHg concentrations increase as a function of spider body size. Because spider size may account for some within-taxa variation in MeHg concentrations, future studies that utilize spiders as sentinels of aquatic contamination by MeHg or other biomagnifying contaminants should take spider size into account. Environ Toxicol Chem 2021;40:1149-1154. © 2020 SETAC.

Effects of Non-native Fish on Lacustrine Food Web Structure and Mercury Biomagnification along a Dissolved Organic Carbon Gradient.

Although the introduction of non-native fish species has been shown to alter trophic ecology in aquatic ecosystems, there has been limited research on how invasive species alter methylmercury (MeHg) biomagnification in lacustrine food webs. We sampled surface water and biota from 8 lakes in Quebec, Canada, spanning a range of dissolved organic carbon (DOC) concentrations (2.9-8.4 mg/L); 4 lakes were inhabited by native brook trout (Salvelinus fontinalis), and the remaining lakes contained brook trout and a non-native fish, Allegheny pearl dace (Margariscus margarita). Periphyton, zooplankton, macroinvertebrates, and fish were analyzed for: 1) stable carbon (δ13 C) and nitrogen (δ15 N) isotope ratios to delineate food webs, and 2) total Hg (THg) or MeHg. Compared with the brook trout from reference lakes, fish from invaded lakes had higher length-standardized THg concentrations as well as a narrower dietary range and elevated trophic level, inferred from unadjusted δ13 C and δ15 N values, respectively. The rate of Hg biomagnification was similar across invaded and reference lakes, implying little effect of the invasive fish on the trophic transfer of MeHg. Despite differences in food web structure due to pearl dace invasion, DOC was the strongest predictor of brook trout THg levels for all lakes, suggesting that underlying environmental factors exerted a stronger influence on brook trout THg concentrations than the presence of a non-native forage fish. Environ Toxicol Chem 2020;39:2196-2207. © 2020 SETAC.

Evaluating the concentrations of total mercury, methylmercury, selenium, and selenium:mercury molar ratios in traditional foods of the Bigstone Cree in Alberta, Canada.

Traditional foods provide nutritional, social, and economic benefits for Indigenous communities; however, anthropogenic activities have raised concerns about mercury (Hg), especially methylmercury (MeHg), in these foods. This issue may be of particular concern for communities near large industrial activities, including the Bigstone Cree Nation adjacent to the Athabasca oil sands region, Canada. This community-led study sought to assess variation in THg and MeHg concentrations among traditional food types (plants or animals), species, and tissues (muscles, organs), and variation in concentrations of the micronutrient selenium (Se)- thought to protect against Hg toxicity-and Se:THg ratios. Thirteen plant and animal species were collected in 2015 by Bigstone Cree community members. We quantified THg, Se, and Se:THg ratios in 65 plant and 111 animal samples and MeHg in 106 animal samples. For plants, the lichen, old man's beard (Usnea spp.), showed the highest concentrations of THg and Se (0.11 ± 0.02 and 0.08 ± 0.01 µg g-1 w. w., respectively) and also had a low Se:THg molar ratio. Concentrations of THg, MeHg, and Se differed among animal samples (P < 0.010), showing variation among species and among tissues/organs. Generally, concentrations of THg and MeHg were highest in aquatic animals, which also had relatively low Se:THg molar ratios. Overall results revealed substantial variation in the patterns of THg, MeHg, Se and Se:THg ratios across this comprehensive basket of traditional foods. Thus, measuring concentrations of THg alone, without considering MeHg and potential associations with Se, may not adequately convey the exposure to Hg in traditional foods.

A mummified Pleistocene gray wolf pup.

In July 2016, a mummified carcass of an ancient wolf (Canis lupus) pup (specimen YG 648.1) was discovered in thawing permafrost in the Klondike goldfields, near Dawson City, Yukon, Canada (Figure 1A). The wolf pup mummy was recovered along a small tributary of Last Chance Creek during hydraulic thawing that exposed the permafrost sediment in which it was preserved. This mummified wolf pup is important to the local Tr'ondëk Hwëch'in people, who named it Zhùr, meaning 'wolf' in the Hän language of their community. Here, we report detailed morphometric, isotopic, and genetic analyses of Zhùr that reveal details of her appearance, evolutionary relationships to other wolves and short life-history and ecology. Zhùr is the most complete wolf mummy known. She lived approximately 57,000 years ago and died in her den during a collapse of the sediments. During her short life, she ate aquatic resources, and is related to ancient Beringian and Russian gray wolves and her clade is basal to all living gray wolves. VIDEO ABSTRACT.

Dried Blood Spot Sampling of Landlocked Arctic Char (Salvelinus alpinus) for Estimating Mercury Exposure and Stable Carbon Isotope Fingerprinting of Essential Amino Acids.

Dried blood spots (DBS), created by applying and drying a whole blood sample onto filter paper, provide a simple and minimally invasive procedure for collecting, transporting, and storing blood. Because DBS are ideal for use in field and resource-limited settings, we aimed to develop a simple and accurate DBS-based approach for assessing mercury (Hg) exposure and dietary carbon sources for landlocked Arctic char, a sentinel fish species in the Arctic. We collected liquid whole blood (from the caudal vein), muscle, liver, and brains of Arctic char (n = 36) from 8 lakes spanning a Hg gradient in the Canadian High Arctic. We measured total Hg concentrations ([THg]) of field-prepared DBS and Arctic char tissues. Across a considerable range, [THg] of DBS (0.04-3.38 µg/g wet wt) were highly correlated with [THg] of all tissues (r2 range = 0.928-0.996). We also analyzed the compound-specific carbon isotope ratios (expressed as δ13 C values) of essential amino acids (EAAs) isolated from DBS, liquid whole blood, and muscle. The δ13 C values of 5 EAAs (δ13 CEAAs ; isoleucine [Ile], leucine [Leu], phenylalanine [Phe], valine [Val], and threonine [Thr]) from DBS were highly correlated with δ13 CEAAs of liquid whole blood (r2 range = 0.693-0.895) and muscle (r2 range = 0.642-0.881). The patterns of δ13 CEAAs of landlocked Arctic char were remarkably consistent across sample types and indicate that EAAs are most likely of algal origin. Because a small volume of blood (~50 µL) dried on filter paper can be used to determine Hg exposure levels of various tissues and to fingerprint carbon sources, DBS sampling may decrease the burdens of research and may be developed as a nonlethal sampling technique. Environ Toxicol Chem 2020;39:893-903. © 2020 SETAC.

Occurrence and bioaccessibility of mercury in commercial rice samples in Montreal (Canada).

The objective of this study was to increase the understanding of mercury exposure via rice commonly consumed in a major North American city. Rice samples were collected from Montreal markets (n = 89) between 2016 and 2017 and analyzed for total mercury (THg) content. THg content ranged from 0.7 ±â€¯0.1 to 9.3 ±â€¯0.5 ng g-1 dw. Significant differences (p < 0.05) were recorded among the various rice types and countries of origin. Overall, cooking had little effect on the THg concentrations in rice. Thiols play a major role in the fate of Hg, therefore thiol contents in rice were measured, and a weak but significant relationship between thiol and THg contents in rice (p < 0.05) was observed. An in vitro gastro-intestinal digestion method was used to assess the bioaccessibility rate of THg in cooked rice samples, and less than 44.5% of THg from the initial rice samples was bioaccessible after in vitro digestion. Dietary exposure to Hg through rice consumption was calculated for the typical Canadian population and values were all below current provisional tolerable weekly intake guidelines. This study improves our understanding of Hg exposures via rice in a large North American city.

Assessment of environmentally contaminated sediment using a contact assay with early life stage zebrafish (Danio rerio).

Lake Saint-Louis, a shallow fluvial lake near the western tip of the island of Montreal, QC, Canada is an important spawning ground for many species of fish. Sediments in certain areas of the lake are known to be contaminated with high levels of metals and legacy organic chemicals. To improve our understanding of risk to native fish populations, we conducted a study evaluating levels of sediment contamination and potential effects on early life stage fish. Concentrations of PAHs, PCBs, PCDDs and PCDFs were several orders of magnitude higher at two industrial sites (B1 and B2) than at a nearby reference site (IP). Concentrations of 32 metals and metalloids were at least 5-fold higher at B1 and B2 than at IP. Moreover, all available interim sediment quality guidelines (ISQGs) were exceeded at the two contaminated sites, while none were exceeded at the reference site. Biological effects were evaluated using a sediment contact assay. Zebrafish (Danio rerio) embryos were exposed to clean water (control), or to sediment from IP, B1, and B2 until 120 h post fertilization (hpf). Mortality was significantly elevated in fish exposed to the B1, but not the B2 sediment. The frequency of deformities increased with increasing contamination, but this trend was not statistically significant (p > 0.05). Genes that are implicated in the response to PAHs, PCBs, dioxins and furans (cyp1a, cyp1b1, ahr2) were significantly elevated in the 120 hpf larvae exposed to the B1 and B2 sediments. Global DNA methylation, and mRNA expression of genes related to oxidative stress (maft, cat, hmox1, sod2), embryonic development (bmp2b, baf60c), metal exposure (mt2), and DNA repair (gadd45b) were unaffected. Our results suggest that the Beauharnois sector of Lake Saint-Louis is poor quality spawning habitat due to high levels of contamination, and the potential for harmful effects on early life stage fish.

Temporal trends, lake-to-lake variation, and climate effects on Arctic char (Salvelinus alpinus) mercury concentrations from six High Arctic lakes in Nunavut, Canada.

Climate warming and mercury (Hg) are concurrently influencing Arctic ecosystems, altering their functioning and threatening food security. Non-anadromous Arctic char (Salvelinus alpinus) in small lakes were used to biomonitor these two anthropogenic stressors, because this iconic Arctic species is a long-lived top predator in relatively simple food webs, and yet population characteristics vary greatly, reflecting differences between lake systems. Mercury concentrations in six landlocked Arctic char populations on Cornwallis Island, Nunavut have been monitored as early as 1989, providing a novel dataset to examine differences in muscle [Hg] among char populations, temporal trends, and the relationship between climate patterns and Arctic char [Hg]. We found significant lake-to-lake differences in length-adjusted Arctic char muscle [Hg], which varied by up to 9-fold. Arctic char muscle [Hg] was significantly correlated to dissolved and particulate organic carbon concentrations in water; neither watershed area or vegetation cover explained differences. Three lakes exhibited significant temporal declines in length-adjusted [Hg] in Arctic char; the other three lakes had no significant trends. Though precipitation, temperature, wind speed, and sea ice duration were tested, no single climate variable was significantly correlated to length-adjusted [Hg] across populations. However, Arctic char Hg in Resolute Lake exhibited a significant correlation with sea ice duration, which is likely closely linked to lake ice duration, and which may impact Hg processing in lakes. Additionally, Arctic char [Hg] in Amituk Lake was significantly correlated to snow fall, which may be linked to Hg deposition. The lack of consistent temporal trends in neighboring char populations indicates that currently, within lake processes are the strongest drivers of [Hg] in char in the study lakes and potentially in other Arctic lakes, and that the influence of climate change will likely vary from lake to lake.

Screening-level risk assessment of methylmercury for non-anadromous Arctic char (Salvelinus alpinus).

Non-anadromous forms of Arctic char (Salvelinus alpinus), those that are restricted to lakes and rivers, typically have higher mercury (Hg) concentrations than anadromous forms, which migrate to and from the sea. Using tissue burden data from the literature and our own analyses, we performed a screening-level risk assessment of methylmercury (MeHg) for non-anadromous Arctic char. Our assessment included 1569 fish distributed across 83 sites. Site-specific mean total Hg concentrations in non-anadromous Arctic char muscle varied considerably from 0.01 to 1.13 µg/g wet weight, with 21% (17 of 83 sites) meeting or exceeding a threshold-effect level in fish of 0.33 µg/g wet weight, and 13% (11 of 83 sites) meeting or exceeding a threshold-effect level in fish of 0.5 µg/g wet weight. Of the sites in exceedance of the 0.33-µg/g threshold, 7 were located in Greenland and 10 in Canada (Labrador, Nunavut, and Yukon). All but one of these sites were located in interfrost or permafrost biomes. Maximum total Hg concentrations exceeded 0.33 µg/g wet weight at 53% of sites (40 of the 75 sites with available maximum Hg values), and exceeded 0.5 µg/g wet weight at 27% (20 of 75 sites). Collectively, these results indicate that certain populations of non-anadromous Arctic char located mainly in interfrost and permafrost regions may be at risk for MeHg toxicity. This approach provides a simple statistical assessment of MeHg risk to non-anadromous Arctic char, and does not indicate actual effects. We highlight the need for studies that evaluate the potential toxic effects of MeHg in non-anadromous Arctic char, as well as those that aid in the development of a MeHg toxic-effect threshold specific to this species of fish. Environ Toxicol Chem 2019;38:489-502. © 2018 SETAC.